Lovis Corinth's "Self-Portrait with his [Topless Young] Wife and a Glass of Champagne" (1902)

"Self-Portrait with his Wife and a Glass of Champagne" (1902)

In 1901, Lovis Corinth, the German artist and writer, opened an all-girls private art school. Days later, 41-year-old Lovis fell in love with his very first student - 21-year-old Charlotte Berend whom he subsequently married after he painted her topless in Self-Portrait with his Wife and a Glass of Champagne (1902).

In the double-portrait, Charlotte is sitting on Lovis’ lap. Her left arm is wrapped around his neck while she’s holding the stem of a flower in her left hand. 

Lovis embraces Charlotte's right fountain with his left hand, but he pointedly allows her spout to peek through his index and middle finger as he raises a celebratory glass of red champagne with his left. 

Interestingly, Lovis highlighted Charlotte’s nude upper body while his fulfilled face posed in Charlotte’s shadow. 

Of the painting, Charlotte related in her memoir that Lovis got “great pleasure” from the painting: 

Lovis asked me: 'Would you like to give me great pleasure? When he was sure I agreed, he continued: 'I have long dreamed of painting a double portrait of us, you as a semi-nude! [...] He was jubilant as he worked, he was cheerful and exclaimed: 'I want to paint it as it makes me happy [...] He painted for a few hours and completed our heads and, like him, I could hardly wait for the next day so that he could continue painting.